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This website is devoted to Philosophy, Religion, Spirituality and Science. We bring in articles on teachings by Great Saints like Sri Shirdi Sai Baba, Adi Shankara, Swami Sivananda, Swami Krishnananda, Aurobindo, Mother of Auroville and others.
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The Science of Meditation
Spiritual Message for the Day – The Science of Meditation by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 13 September 2015 11.24 EST | New York Edition** |
The Science of Meditation
Divine Life Society Publication: Dhyana Yoga by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
Om Sri Sadguru Paramatmane Namah
Concentration is holding the mind on to some particular object. An unbroken flow of knowledge in that subject is meditation. Meditation is regular flow of thought with regard to the object of concentration. Meditation follows concentration. Concentration merges in meditation. Meditation opens the doors of the mind to intuitive knowledge and many powers. You can get whatever you want through meditation. During meditation all worldly thoughts are shut out from the mind. Meditation is called Dhyana in Sanskrit and is the seventh step in the Yogic Ladder.
There should be a separate room for meditation and other spiritual exercises and practices. The room should be regarded as a temple of God. You should not allow anybody into the room. You should enter the room with a pious and reverent mind. Thoughts of jealousy, lust, greed and anger should not be entertained within the four walls of the room. All worldly talks also should not be indulged in there. For every word that is uttered, every thought that is cherished and every deed that is done is not lost; they are reflected on the subtle layers of ether encircling the room where they are done and hence affect the mind, invariably.
Decorate the room with inspiring pictures of great Saints, Sages, Prophets and World Teachers. In a prominent place in the room keep a beautiful photo of your tutelary Deity (Ishta-Devata), either Lord Jesus, Lord Krishna, Lord Siva or Devi. Let the Deity face the East or North. Spread your Asana (seat) in front of the Deity. Keep some religious and philosophical books such as the Bhagavad-Gita, the Upanishads, the Vedanta-Sutras, the Ramayana, the Yogavasishtha, the Bible, etc., by your side. Wash your face, hands and legs before you enter the room. Burn a piece of camphor and light some scented sticks immediately after entering the room. Sit on the Asana in front of the Deity and repeat the Name of the Lord or sing some devotional hymns. Then take to the practice of concentration and meditation.
We cannot seek for ideal places. Even if we wander from pole to pole, we cannot get an ideal place that will satisfy us from every standpoint. Every place has some advantages and some disadvantages as well. So you should select a place that is more advantageous than the others. Having once selected a place, you must stick to it till the last. You must not think of changing the place, when some difficulty stares you in the face. You must put up with the difficulty by all means. Rishikesh (Himalayas), Hardwar, Uttarkashi, Badrinarayan, Gangotri, Mount Kailas, Brindawan, Banaras, Nasik and Ayodhya are all excellent places for meditation in India.
The best and the most congenial time for the practice of meditation is unquestionably the Brahmamuhurta, i.e., from 4 to 6 a.m. That is the time when the mind is quite refreshed after an agreeable slumber, when the mind is calm and comparatively pure. It is like a clean blank sheet of paper. Only such a mind can be moulded into whatever shape you like. Moreover, the atmosphere also is charged with purity and goodness at this time.
In the beginning you can meditate twice daily, from 4 to 5 in the morning and 7 to 8 at night. As you advance in your practices you can increase the duration of each sitting little by little using your commonsense and discretion, and also have a third sitting either in the morning between 10 and 11 or in the evening between 4 and 5.
Sitting on your favourite meditative pose and keeping the head, neck and trunk erect, close your eyes and gently concentrate on either the tip of the nose, space between the eyebrows, the heart-lotus or the crown of the head. When once you have selected one centre of concentration, stick to it till the last with leechlike tenacity. Never change it. Thus, if you have chosen to concentrate on the heart-lotus after having tried the other centres, stick to the heart-lotus alone. Then only can you expect rapid advancement.
Meditation is of two kinds, viz., Saguna (with Gunas or qualities) meditation and Nirguna (without Gunas or qualities) meditation. Meditation on Lord Krishna, Lord Siva, Lord Rama or Lord Jesus is Saguna meditation. It is meditation with form and attributes. The Name of the Lord is also simultaneously repeated. This is the method of the Bhaktas. Meditation on the reality of the Self is Nirguna meditation. This is the method of the Vedantins. Meditation on Om, Soham, Sivoham, Aham Brahma Asmi and Tat Twam Asi is Nirguna meditation.
Put an iron rod in the blazing furnace. It becomes red like fire. Remove it from the fire. It loses its red colour. If you want to keep it always red, you must keep it always in fire. Even so, if you want to keep the mind charged with the fire of Brahmic Wisdom, you must keep it always in contact with the Brahmic Fire of Knowledge through constant and intense meditation. You must, in other words, keep up an unceasing flow of Brahmic consciousness.
Meditation is the most powerful mental and nervine tonic. The holy vibrations penetrate all the cells of the body and cure the various diseases that human flesh is heir to. Those who regularly meditate save the doctor’s bills. The powerful soothing waves that arise during meditation exercise a benign influence on the mind, nerves, organs and cells of the body. The divine energy freely flows like the flow of oil from one vessel to another, from the Feet of the Lord to the different systems of the practitioner.
If you meditate for half an hour, you will be able to face the daily battle of life with peace and spiritual strength for one week through the force of meditation. Such is the beneficial effect of meditation. As you have to move with different minds of peculiar nature, get the requisite strength and peace from meditation and be free from worry and trouble.
The wise cut asunder the knot of egoism by the sharp sword of constant meditation. Then draw supreme Knowledge of the Self or full illumination or Self-realisation. All bonds of Karma (action) are rent asunder. Therefore be ever engaged in meditation. This is the master-key to open the realms of eternal Bliss. It may be disgusting and tiring in the beginning, because the mind will be running away from the point (Lakshya) every now and then. But after sometime it will be focussed in the centre. You will be immersed in Divine Bliss.
Regular meditation opens up the avenues of intuitional knowledge, makes the mind calm and steady, awakens an ecstatic feeling, and brings the Yogic student in contact with the Supreme Purusha. If there are doubts, they are all cleared by themselves, when you march on the path of Dhyana-Yoga (meditation) steadily. You will yourself feel the way to place your footstep in the next higher rung of the Yogic ladder. A mysterious inner voice will guide you. Hear thou this attentively, O Aspirant!
When you get a flash of illumination, do not be frightened. It will be a new experience of immense joy. Do not turn back. Do not give up meditation. Do not stop there. You will have to advance still further. This is only a glimpse of truth. This is not the highest realisation. This is only a new platform. Try to ascend further. Reach the Bhuma or the Infinite. Now alone you are proof against all temptations. You will drink deep the nectar of Immortality. This is the acme or final stage. You will take eternal rest now. You need not meditate any further. This is the final goal.
Excerpts from: The Science of Meditation – Dhyana Yoga by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
If you would like to purchase the print edition, visit: The Divine Life Society E-Bookstore
If you would like to contribute to the dissemination of spiritual knowledge please contact the General Secretary at: generalsecretary@sivanandaonline.org
SEND FEED BACK ON THIS ARTICLE \\ Email to BT Digest Editor( dlsusa.org@gmail.com)
If you would like to purchase the print edition, visit: The Divine Life Society E-Bookstore
If you would like to contribute to the dissemination of spiritual knowledge please contact the General Secretary at: generalsecretary@sivanandaonline.org
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Hatha Yoga and Health
Spiritual Message for the Day – Hatha Yoga and Health by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 12 September 2015 20.57 EST | New York Edition** |
Hatha Yoga and Healthy body, mind and Spiritual Experiences
Divine Life Society Publication: Hatha Yoga by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
Om Sri Sadguru Paramatmane Namah
The whole universe from the mightiest sun to the tiniest atom is controlled by law. There is perfect order everywhere. The sun performs its duties quite regularly. It rises at proper time and sets at the proper time. The stars and planets revolve in an orderly manner. They are governed by laws. There are laws in mental plane. There are laws of physics, of astronomy, of mathematics. There are laws of hygiene and health which govern our own being. In the vast universe man only breaks and violates all rules and laws. He is the single example of lawlessness and discord. He willfully disregards the laws of health, leads a life of dissipation and then wonders why he suffers from disease and disharmony. He deliberately ignores the rules of hygiene and right living and then weeps when he is ailing from an incurable dire malady.
What is that precious thing which makes life worth living? It is health. “Sariramadhyam khalu dharma sadhanam”—Body is indeed the foremost essential thing for the attainment of the goal of human existence. Charak Maharishi says in his Samhita: “Dharmartha kama mokshanam arogyam moolamuttamam, Yogastasya apahartara sreyaso jivitayacha”—Health is the best cause of virtue, wealth, desire and emancipation, and is the blessedness of life. Diseases are the destroyers of health. The laws of the preservation of health should receive your foremost consideration. The laws of health are the laws of nature. These should not be violated with impunity. Those who neglect these laws become victims to incurable diseases and drag a cheerless existence.
Health is wealth, Health is a covetable possession indeed. Health is a valuable asset for one and all. You should have physical as well as mental health. If you do not possess good health you cannot prosper in any walk of life.
Health is that state in which a man sleeps well, digests his food well, is quite at ease, is free from any sort of disease or uneasiness. When you are in a state of perfect health all the organs work in perfect harmony and concord and discharge their functions satisfactorily. A healthy man smiles and laughs. He is cheerful and happy. He discharges his daily duties with ease and comfort. A healthy man is capable of doing work for a long time without getting fatigued. He possesses highest mental and physical efficiency.
A healthy man need not be necessarily strong and a strong man need not be healthy. A very strong man may suffer from diseases. A healthy and strong man becomes a centre of great attraction. He radiates health and strength to all persons with whom he comes in contact.
Besides muscular strength, you must have nerve strength as well. Some can bear any amount of pain. Some can bear insult or injury. Many have great physical strength but they do not have mental strength. One harsh word can upset their balance of mind. Some people who have immense physical strength cannot bear the pain of an acute disease. They cry like children when they suffer from any disease. They have no mental strength. Some are afraid of public criticisms even though they are physically strong.
He who possesses physical, mental, moral and spiritual strength is an ideal man. Moral strength is superior to physical strength. It is difficult to possess moral strength. Spiritual power is the highest power on earth. A saint or a Yogi who possesses spiritual strength can move the whole world. He is a dynamic personality. The strength of Gandhiji is moral strength. He has gained the strength by the practice of Ahimsa, Satya and Brahmacharya. Gandhiji has no physical strength. He has mental and moral strength. A powerful spiritual soul may dwell in a thin wiry body.
The world needs good healthy mothers, healthy and strong boys and girls. What do you find in these days in India? India, the land which produced Bhishma, Bhima, Arjuna, Drona, Aswatthama, Kripa, Parasurama and countless chivalrous warriors, the soil which contained numberless Rajput Chiefs of undaunted intrepidity, unparalleled chivalry and matchless strength abounds now with effeminate impotent weaklings. Children beget children. The laws of health are ignored and neglected. The nation is dying and suffering. The world requires brave, moral Adhyatamic soldiers who are equipped with five virtues, viz., Ahimsa, Satya, Asteya, Brahmacharya and Aparigraha. Those who possess health and strength, those who are endowed with the above five virtues, those who have knowledge of the Self can secure real freedom for the world.
Good health is the greatest asset for you. Without good health you can hardly expect success in any walk of life. Even for spiritual pursuits good health is the prerequisite. Without good health you cannot wage war with the turbulent senses and boisterous mind.
By drinking pure water, by eating pure and wholesome food, by observing the laws of health and hygiene, by taking regular exercise and cold baths in the morning, by practising Japa and meditation, by right living, right thinking, right action, right conduct, by observing Brahmacharya, by living in open air and sunshine for some time daily, you can have wonderful health, vigour and vitality.
Sattvic Ahara or good wholesome food rich in vitamins or a well-balanced diet, systematic practice of Yogic Exercises, right living, right thinking and simple living are the important requisites for the preservation of health and attainment of high standard of vigour and vitality. These are the sublime principles on which the Rishis and Yogins of yore lived a long, peaceful life. These are the important methods on which they based the system of Yoga to achieve perfection in health of body and mind.
Regular practice of Yogic exercises even for fifteen minutes a day will keep you quite fit and make you hale and hearty. You will have abundant energy, muscular strength and nerve power, a charming personality and longevity.
There are nowadays many systems of physical exercises. Among all the systems, Hatha Yoga practised and prescribed by the ancient Rishis and sages stand unrivalled and unique. It is the most perfect system. Brain, muscles, nerves, organs, tissues are toned and energised. All chronic diseases are rooted out. By practice of exercises of Hatha Yoga, you can possess a healthy body and mind and attain spiritual experiences also.
The subject Hatha Yoga is a systematic course of exercises. It deals with Shat Karmas, Asanas, Pranayams, Mudras, Bandhas, and exercises on concentration and meditation.
Asanas pertain to the physical body. They render the body firm and steady and eradicate physical ailments. Bandhas pertain to the Prana. That which binds is a Bandha. They do not allow the Prana to move upwards and the Apana to move downwards. They bind and unite the Prana with the Apana and send the united Prana-apana along the Sushumna Nadi. Mudras concern the mind. They represent seals. Mudra means a seal. They seal the mind with the soul or Atman. They do not allow the mind to wander outside towards objects. They direct the externalising mind towards Atman in the chambers of the heart and fix it there. A combination of all exercises is needed and if you devote at least 15 minutes daily, you can have an all-round development of body.
May you all attain good health, long life and a high standard of vigour, vitality, through the practice of Yogic Exercises and the blessings of Rishis!
Excerpts from: Hatha Yoga and Healthy body, Mind and Spiritual Experiences - Hatha Yoga by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
If you would like to purchase the print edition, visit: The Divine Life Society E-Bookstore
If you would like to contribute to the dissemination of spiritual knowledge please contact the General Secretary at: generalsecretary@sivanandaonline.org
SEND FEED BACK ON THIS ARTICLE \\ Email to BT Digest Editor( dlsusa.org@gmail.com)
If you would like to purchase the print edition, visit: The Divine Life Society E-Bookstore
If you would like to contribute to the dissemination of spiritual knowledge please contact the General Secretary at: generalsecretary@sivanandaonline.org
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Gurudev’s Satsanga
Spiritual Message for the Day – Gurudev’s Satsanga by Sri Swami Venkatesananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 11 September 2015 15.04 EST | New York Edition** |
Gurudev’s Satsanga
Divine Life Society Publication: Sivananda’s Integral Yoga by Sri Swami Venkatesananda
Gurudev’s satsanga was itself unique in many ways. It was very beautiful and wonderful, and combined songs in praise of the Lord, chanting his names, music, study of scriptures, discourses etc. It catered and appealed to the needs and temperaments of all; it satisfied everyone’s hunger. In the early days, there were only about ten or fifteen of us and perhaps ten visitors. We all sat in two rows and there was a little altar with a wick lamp on it. There was also a hurricane lantern on a small stool, which had to be passed around to help some of us read from the scriptures. The satsanga started with:
om om om
jaya ganesha jaya ganesha jaya ganesha pahimam
sri ganesha sri ganesha sri ganesha raksha mam
jaya guru siva guru hari guru ram
jagadguru paramguru sadguru shyam
adi guru advaita guru ananda guru om
chidguru chidghana guru chinmaya guru om
hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare
hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare
(later this was greatly expanded)
Then the lamp was passed to the first person sitting on the Master’s left, who would read a chapter of the Gita, with or without translation. As soon as that was finished, that person would lead in chanting a kirtan and then the lantern would be pushed to the next person, who read from some other scripture. This person would also lead the next kirtan. And so it would go round.
Sometimes the Master used to ask somebody or other to read an article which he had written that day. This was very interesting. Someone might have gone to him to complain that someone else rebuked him in anger. The Master did not rebuke the person who rebuked because it might hurt him. Instead he would write a nice article, “The danger of anger”. (Sometimes he would give it to the person concerned to type.) He would bring it to the satsanga to be read by the one who lost his temper. It hits home! It is meant for him.
From there on, everyone had to lead in singing a kirtan. It was not enough to sing in chorus. The Master would not accept any excuse or explanation. He pointed out that shyness was an obstacle to spiritual progress. When everyone had finished, the Master would conclude with the mahamantra kirtan and the mahamrityunjaya mantra. The satsang concluded with arati and the most sublime peace chants, beautifully expressive of his innermost feelings;
Om sarvesam svastir bhavatu,
sarvesam santir bhavatu,
sarvesam purnam bhavatu,
sarvesam mangalam bhavatu,
sarve bhavantu sukhinah,
sarve santu niramayah,
sarve bhadrani pasyantu,
ma kaschit duhkha-bhagbhavet.
asato ma sat gamaya,
tamaso ma jyotir gamaya,
mrityor ma amritam gamaya.
Om purnamadah purnamidam
purnat purnamudachyate
purnasya purnamadaya
purnameva vasistyate
Om santih santih santih
The spirit of the above chants is as follows: “May all be blessed with well-being, auspiciousness, peace and fullness. May all be happy and free from illness. May all see only good; and may no ill befall anyone. O Lord, lead me from the unreal to the real, from darkness to light and from mortality to immortality. The Lord is full; the creation is also full. The latter has appeared in the Lord, and yet the Lord is everfull. Om. Peace. Peace. Peace.”
After this the Master would walk away very quietly so that the profound thoughts and ideas heard from the scriptures would still be fresh and ringing in our minds and heart as we went to bed.
This was the whole basic structure of the satsanga. Gurudev encouraged people to have satsanga in their own homes, perhaps with a few neighbours, choosing their own scriptures.
om tryambakam yajamahe sugandhim pustivardhanam
urvarukamiva bandhanan mrtyor muksiya mamrtat.
(We worship the Lord who promotes health and strength. May he liberate us from death).
Excerpts from: Gurudev’s Satsanga - Sivananda’s Integral Yoga by Sri Swami Venkatesananda
If you would like to purchase the print edition, visit: The Divine Life Society E-Bookstore
If you would like to contribute to the dissemination of spiritual knowledge please contact the General Secretary at: generalsecretary@sivanandaonline.org
SEND FEED BACK ON THIS ARTICLE \\ Email to BT Digest Editor( dlsusa.org@gmail.com)
If you would like to purchase the print edition, visit: The Divine Life Society E-Bookstore
If you would like to contribute to the dissemination of spiritual knowledge please contact the General Secretary at: generalsecretary@sivanandaonline.org
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The Gradual Stages of Meditation
Spiritual Message for the Day – The Gradual Stages of Meditation by Sri Swami Krishnananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 10 September 2015 16.05 EST | New York Edition** |
The Gradual Stages of Meditation
Divine Life Society Publication: The Meaning of Religion and the Spiritual Attitude in Life by Sri Swami Krishnananda
The gradual stages of meditation are, first of all, an object form physically chosen or psychologically conceived, into which technique we have to be initiated by a Guru.
The higher stage is the recognition of the independence of the perceptual process from the existence of an object. This is vairagya, virakti, dispassion for objects arisen not on account of frustration or hatred for things but on account of the realisation that our perceptual activity of an object is independent of the object itself, so identification of this process with the object is a wrongful method applied. Thus, vairagya is born of understanding and realisation, and not on account of a defeatist attitude in the mind or a frustration of a desire. This gives us an inner fill-up, a further inspiration, an incentive to practise yoga in its positive aspects. This is abhyasa, the counterpart of vairagya. While we are spontaneously dispassionate in respect of objects on account of the realisation of the independence of the perceptual process from the objects, we are spontaneously also inspired to enter the stage of abhyasa or direct practice, which is positive yoga. Abhyasa is superior to vairagya. We do not go on withdrawing ourselves always. We have also to do something positively. Direct meditation is abhyasa, and detachment from all externals is vairagya.
Then our object of meditation becomes subtler and subtler as we proceed higher and higher. It also becomes vaster and vaster in its comprehension. As we go more and more inward, the object of our meditation becomes more and more subtle and also gets expanded in its comprehension and gamut. The more inward we are, the more expanded we also are, and the more subtle we are to that extent.
Lastly, the object of meditation is the Atman itself, which is the upasana which is prescribed in the Upanishads, for example. The upasanas and methods of meditation prescribed in the Upanishads are worships of the Atman universal – Vaishvanara – to which state we have to reach gradually from the location of a physical object to an object psychologically conceived later on.
Next, we have to contemplate on the structure and the activity of the mind itself, which is one of the forms of Buddhist meditation, for example. We meditate on the activity of the mind itself which will help us to be in a position to fix ourselves in our true being, which is ahamgraha upasana, as they call it, or atma-upasana, meditation on the Atman itself. It is not somebody meditating on the Atman, because we ourselves are the Atman. It is Self-imposition of an indescribable character, Self-contemplation, we may call it – Being contemplating Being, thought contemplating itself.
This is the highest form of meditation, to which condition or stage we have to reach gradually by these successive processes of analysis: psychological, moral and spiritual.
Excerpts from: The Gradual Stages of Meditation - The Meaning of Religion and the Spiritual Attitude in Life by Sri Swami Krishnananda
If you would like to purchase the print edition, visit: The Divine Life Society E-Bookstore
If you would like to contribute to the dissemination of spiritual knowledge please contact the General Secretary at: generalsecretary@sivanandaonline.org
SEND FEED BACK ON THIS ARTICLE \\ Email to BT Digest Editor( dlsusa.org@gmail.com)
If you would like to purchase the print edition, visit: The Divine Life Society E-Bookstore
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Faith in God
Spiritual Message for the Day – Faith in God by Sri Swami Venkatesananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 9 September 2015 16.27 EST | New York Edition** |
Faith in God
Divine Life Society Publication: Sivananda’s Integral Yoga by Sri Swami Venkatesananda
The Master used to say very often, “You are talking about God’s grace. Do you know how to experience God’s grace? Not by paying lip service. If you want to enjoy God’s grace, depend on nothing else for some time. Without telling anybody, leave the ashram and walk away. When you feel hungry, somebody may give you food. When you feel tired, lie down. Live like this for a few days, you will then come to know what God’s grace is. You will find that an unknown person, someone whom you have never met in your life, might come and say, ‘Where are you coming from? Won’t you come in and have a cup of tea?’ You will look into his face and see God’s grace. You will feel, ‘Here is God’s grace. I don’t deserve it. I have done nothing for this man and he is probably very poor. He offers me a cup of tea.’ This is God’s grace. You are lying down somewhere, someone sees you shivering with cold and comes and throws a blanket over your body. You look at him and realise, ‘This is God’s grace.’ Somebody may even slap you–that too you enjoy as God’s grace.” God’s grace is not something which the brain can invent. It has to be experienced.
The Master himself did this in 1941 when there were still only a few people living with him. No one has been able to discover why he decided to leave the ashram. One afternoon the Master did not return to his office as usual and his room was empty. They found a note, “I am retiring. I have appointed Swami Paramananda to be the president after me and I would like the work to continue.” He had gone. It seems he kept walking towards Hardwar. One night he spent in a temple and the next morning he went on walking aimlessly. Aimlessly–that was the aim. When night fell, he looked around, there was a haystack so he got in there and fell asleep. The next morning he discovered it was a muslim’s house. This muslim looked after him for a day or two. Then Gurudev kept moving and was eventually picked up by a man who had a small sugar-cane farm. This man made him stay there for a few days and gave him sugar-cane juice. In the meantime everyone in Rishikesh, Hardwar and throughout the entire district knew that Swami Sivananda was missing. A swami had gone in search of the Master, and finding him, begged, “Oh, please come back to the ashram.” It was only then that this sugar-cane man realised that he had been host to a very great sage of the Himalayas. This man then became a great devotee of the Master’s and every year he used to bring two big drums of sugar-cane juice in commemoration of that wonderful event. And Gurudev also used to point out straight away, “I stayed at his house for two days.”
It is when you have such experiences that you begin to have faith in God. From belief, you have graduated to faith. It is still only faith, but it is strong enough to sustain us, in life until one day, by God’s grace again, we have a direct experience of God’s omnipresence and realise that God alone is, nothing else is. At this stage one realises that ‘I’ cannot realise God. God alone is real. When the ego dissolves, then God knows Himself. Self-realisation is the cancellation of the self. God-realisation is God realising Himself. ‘I’ does nothing at all, it is God who does all unto himself. This is the heart of bhakti yoga, the essence of God-realisation.
Though as the natural ‘fruit’ of Gurudev’s bhakti yoga practices he enjoyed the visions of divinities and sages, though his prayers for the sick healed them and his prayers for the afflicted removed their afflictions and even altered the destinies of devotees (many of these are recorded in the book “Miracles of Sivananda”), his utter egolessness was the supreme manifestation of bhakti. Such egolessness is indeed love that is God.
Excerpts from: Faith in God - Sivananda’s Integral Yoga by Sri Swami Venkatesananda
If you would like to purchase the print edition, visit: The Divine Life Society E-Bookstore
If you would like to contribute to the dissemination of spiritual knowledge please contact the General Secretary at: generalsecretary@sivanandaonline.org
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If you would like to purchase the print edition, visit: The Divine Life Society E-Bookstore
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Sivananda’s Life
Spiritual Message for the Day – Sivananda’s Life by Sri Swami Venkatesananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 8 September 2015 12.18 EST | New York Edition** |
Sivananda’s Life
Divine Life Society Publication: All About Sivananda by Sri Swami Venkatesananda
‘Happy Birthday, Beloved Gurudev.’
(In the Sivananda global family, the 8th September is a day where devotees remember that God took birth as Swami Sivananda, to guide and bless humanity.)
Siva’s life is God’s Guarantee to mankind. It is the Sadhaka’s Guide, an open scripture for all to learn from. It is a divine bridge, linking the finite with the Infinite, connecting the land of mortals with the Realm of Immortality.
As a student, he exemplified in himself the ideals of obedience and reverence. The Young Dr. Kuppuswami showed that selfless and dynamic service paved the way to material prosperity, too! He set an example in indiscriminate charity and proved that it invited wealth, peace and happiness. As a flourishing doctor in Malaya during the 1920’s, his cheerful countenance and robust body, proclaimed that intense work done with the correct mental attitude strengthened the body, lengthened life, and infused peace into the heart and bliss into the soul of man.
By the single act of renunciation of all that riches and a prosperous career, Siva had taught more than any scripture could, that realisation of the Self is dearer than wealth, dearer than everything, than life itself. Awe-inspiring austerities, begging and pennilessness caused-not unhappiness nor suffering in the heart of the zealous seeker Dr. Kuppuswami, but-an intensification of the faith in God and His Unfailing Mercy.
To mankind blinded by the cataract of materialism, faithlessness and egoism, Siva extended his helping hand-the Divine Life Society. He gave asylum to aspirants in his Ashram. In the Forest Academy, Siva’s students have their inner vision unveiled.
This God has clothed himself in human garb. He has come amidst us as a Divine Invitation to a perennial Forest of Immortal Bliss.
Excerpts from: Sivananda’s Life - All About Sivananda by Sri Swami Venkatesananda
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Goal of Life
Spiritual Message for the Day – Goal of Life by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 7 September 2015 20.42 EST | New York Edition** |
Goal of Life
Divine Life Society Publication: Goal of Life is God-Realisation by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
Om Sri Sadguru Paramatmane Namah
God has a Master-plan. We have our parts to play.
Play out your part well in the worldly play. But, do not fetter yourself. Keep your mind steady on the lotus-feet of the Lord. You will swim in the ocean of divine bliss.
Have no attachment for this mortal body of flesh and bone. Cast it off like a slough anywhere, just as the snake throws away its skin. Make up your mind to give up the body at any moment. Become absolutely fearless.
As long as there is the least Deha-Adhyasa, identification with the body, so long you cannot expect Self-realisation. Exhibit undaunted spirit, intrepidity, and manliness. Make a strong resolve: “I will die or realise”.
Birth and death, bondage and freedom, pleasure and pain, gain and loss, are mental creations. Transcend the pairs of opposites. You were never born. You will never die. Thou art the immortal Self always, O Prem! Thou art ever free in the three periods of time. It is the physical body that goes and comes.
Recognise, O Prem, that you are the living Truth. Realise that you are always inseparable from the one essence that is the substratum of all these illusory names and forms, these false shadowy appearances. Get yourself firmly established in the Brahman, the Light of lights. Nothing can disturb you now. You have become invulnerable. Feel this. Feel this through intuition when you enter into deep Samadhi or supreme silence, my child!
The god of death will tremble before you now. By your command the sun shines, the fire burns, and the wind blows. By your command Indra, Prajapati, Agni, and Varuna do their respective functions. Thou art beyond time, space, and causation.
You must not be afraid of Maya now. She is under your perfect control now. Stand firm like the yonder rock. Be adamantine. Move about in the world now like a lion and lift up the young, struggling souls out of the mire of Samsara. Disseminate Knowledge of the Self. Share it with others. Be catholic, liberal, universal, all-inclusive. Love all. Be kind to all. Expand thy heart. Have space in thy heart for all, even for that man who is planning to poison you, who is drawing the dagger to cut your throat. Become a practical Vedantin. Become a Kriya-Advaitin.
Rely on your own Self, your own inner spiritual strength. Stand on your own feet. Do not depend on money, friends, or anyone. When the friends are put to the test, they will desert you. Lord Buddha never trusted even his disciples. When he was seriously ailing, he himself jumped like a frog to drink water from the river. Be not bound to anybody, any place, or thing. Do not desire to possess. Possessions bring pain. Become absolutely free by identifying with the inner Self, thy Inner Ruler, immortal. Challenge the whole, world now.
Stand up, O Prem! Follow me. Enjoy the bliss of Atman. The river of Atmic joy is flowing all around. There is a deluge of Bliss of Self. Drink this nectar to your heart’s content. Care not for the world. Go thy own way. Let others hoard up wealth and become multi-millionaires and mill-owners. They are misers only. Let others become barristers, high court judges, and ministers. They are still ignorant men. Mind not a bit. The wealth of the three worlds is nothing, mere straw, before the spiritual wealth, the wealth of Atma-Jnana. The joy of the three worlds is a mere drop when compared to the ocean of bliss of the Self. The knowledge of all secular sciences is mere husk when compared to the Knowledge of the Self. Here are the priceless treasures of Atman for thee. Here is the inexhaustible wealth of Brahma-Jnana. Enjoy these riches. No dacoit or robber can rob thee of this imperishable wealth of Tattva-Jnana. No insolvency, no failure of bank, no bankruptcy here. Take possession of this spiritual treasurer the splendour of Brahman, and enjoy for ever and ever. Thou art now a real King of kings, Shah of shahs, Emperor of emperors. Indra and Brahma will be jealous of thee now, O Prem! Go and distribute this imperishable wealth of Knowledge of Self far and wide. Glory unto thee! Peace be with thee for ever and ever!
Excerpts from: Goal of Life - Goal of Life is God-Realisation by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
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Maya and Mind
Spiritual Message for the Day – Maya and Mind by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 6 September 2015 20.42 EST | New York Edition** |
Maya and Mind
Divine Life Society Publication: Goal of Life is God-Realisation by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
Om Sri Sadguru Paramatmane Namah
There is no duality in Reality. All modification is illusory. Multiplicity is an illusion.
Maya projects multiplicity. Maya creates division, division between the individual soul and the Supreme Soul.
Maya is a tremendous, delusive power of God. Maya is the material stuff of this world. Maya is the source of the physical universe. This world of names and forms is a false show kept up by the jugglery of Maya.
Just as a stick burning at one end, when waved round quickly, produces an illusion of a circle of fire, Alata Chakra, so is it with the multiplicity of the world. Maya deludes us. Maya havocs through the mind. The things that we perceive all round us are only mind in form or substance.
The world is a product of the mind. The whole world is an expansion of the mind. The entire universe arises and exists in the mind.
Nothing of the world is outside the mind. Earth, mountains, and rivers-all are fragments of the mind, appearing as it were to exist outside.
The world does not exist by itself. It is not seen without the aid of the mind. It disappears when the mind ceases to function.
It is imagination alone that assumes the forms of time, space, and motion. Space and time have no independent status apart from Brahman or the Self, which is Awareness.
There is no space without time, and there is no time without space. Space and time go together. Space and time are interdependent. They are unreal.
Time and space are mental creations. Time and space are mental projections, unreal as dreams. However real they may seem to be, they are not ultimately real. Timeless, spaceless Brahman is the only Reality.
Brahman alone is. It is Brahman alone that shines as the world of variegated objects, like waves differentiating the water into many kinds of foam, bubbles, etc. Brahman appears as the world when cognised through the mind and the senses.
Excerpts from:
Maya and Mind - Goal of Life is God-Realisation by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
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Gospel of Lord Krishna
Spiritual Message for the Day – Gospel of Lord Krishna by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 5 September 2015 10.48 EST | New York Edition** |
Gospel of Lord Krishna
Divine Life Society Publication: Gospel of Lord Krishna by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
Om Sri Sadguru Paramatmane Namah
Salutations to Lord Sri Krishna, the sweetest manifestation of the Supreme Being! Sri Krishna is regarded as the Purna-Avarata of God. He was perfect in every respect. God is all-pervading; Sri Krishna’s life-on-earth, too, was all-comprehensive. Study Srimad Bhagavatam and the Mahabharata. You will understand what a multifaceted diamond Sri Krishna was. He was a wonderful child, divine boy, resplendent youth, dearest friend, mighty warrior, wise administrator, sweet comrade, master of diplomacy, protector of the meek, death of the wicked, preserver of Dharma, clever strategist, humble servant, obedient pupil, dutiful son, loving husband and Supreme Guru. These and countless others are but aspects of His Immanence as Krishna. Above all these, He is God who, in his own transcendental nature, is the Lord of lords, the father and mother of all creation, the very Soul of all that exists. He is the substratum of all existence. He is the Reality, immortal, eternal, infinite and absolute. He is not only immortal but He is Immortality Itself.
It is, therefore, in the fitness of things that the scripture that He propounded should partake of all these great virtues that characterised His Divine Manifestation and His transcendental Nature. His Gospel is so comprehensive that everyone can draw inspiration and guidance from it, whatever his social status may be, whatever his profession and in whatever stage of spiritual evolution he may be. For, in his Gospel the Lord has woven a beautiful and universal pattern of ethics that would appeal and apply to all. The grand edifice of the ethics of his Gospel has been built on the eternal corner-stones of (1) Immortality of the Soul, (2) Immanence of God, (3) Impermanence of the world and (4) Immediacy of liberation. Because these truths are universal, the ethics of his Gospel also have universal application.
Existing as He does as the very Immortal Principle in all-beings, Lord Krishna proclaims with unimpeachable authority, the immortality of the Soul. Being manifest here in this world as the very life and soul of all beings, He reveals the immanence of God. Being the witness of the actions of Prakriti (Nature) and the interplay of the Gunas (qualities), and in the perfect knowledge of the nature of this play of the Gunas. He declares that the objects of the world are evanescent, that all that is born must die and that all that is created must perish. Being the One who is conscious of the one imperishable, indivisible Truth which is never affected by the illusory play of Prakriti in which the Jiva (individual) which is essentially one with that Supreme Being, dreams that he is dumb-driven and bound, the Lord asserts that liberation is possible here and now.
Though the thundering revelation of the Immortality of the Soul, Sri Krishna warns man not to deceive himself by trying to ignore the law of Karma, the law of rebirth, and the law of retribution. The Soul within him does not die with the death of the body; and, so long as it does not liberate itself by attaining Jnana, it is bound to reap the harvest of the seeds it has sown in its several births. The Jiva which imagines that it is the doer of an action is bound to it by an invisible thread called attachment. The action is a rubber-ball with a long rubber-band attached to it which is given to the children to play with. One end of the band is tied to the finger of the child and it throws the ball on the ground; and the ball promptly rebounds to the child’s hand. Similarly, every action performed by you with the idea that you are doing it and with a desire to attain a certain end, is bound to rebound on you sooner or later, in this birth or in another. Death itself is but going from one room to another; and so long as the band of attachment is not broken by the knife of non-attachment and the knot of desire born of ignorance is not loosened, the ball of action is bound to come back. One who realises this will do no evil. It is ignorance of the immortality of the Soul and the inevitable working of the law of action and reaction that makes the wicked man go his evil way. The wise man dismisses the misfortunes that may befall him as the working out of the evil Karmas of a previous birth and is indifferent to them; and he is active in cultivating goodness and in doing good, convinced, in the words of Sri Krishna, “that the doer of good never comes by evil” and that in the life to come; he will not only be free from misery and misfortune, but will also get greater opportunities of progressing more rapidly towards the goal, viz., Jnana (wisdom). The doctrine of the immortality of the Soul is, therefore, the most important corner-stone in his Gospel.
The next is the revelation of the immanence of God. God is the indweller of everyone. He is the witness of your thoughts. People around you watch your actions and hear your words; God watches not only your actions, but the motives that prompt them; He hears not only your words but also the whisper of your heart’s intentions. It is therefore that Lord Jesus, too, said: “thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” The doctrine of the immanence of God exposes, too, the hypocrite who pretends to worship God in a shrine, ignoring the Lord walking bare-bodied on the road with a begging bowl in hand, who is writhing in pain, groaning under subjection and groping in the darkness of ignorance—the disguises assumed by Him to test your sincerity and to give you a chance to worship Him truly and to attain Him here and now. Look up, and see your Lord watching you through the eyes of everyone you meet. Have you got the sincerity to recognise Him? Then you are fit to realise God and your own Immortality. He is here, near you; and in order to bring this fact graphically before you, Sri Krishna describes himself as the several manifestations set forth in the Vibhuti Yoga of the Bhagavadgita.
The third—the doctrine of the impermanence of the world. The things that you acquire are of this world which will pass away; but by the service you render to God immanent here, you are watering the plant of immortality. Remember; the things that you possess and the whole world, not only this world which is but a mere speck of dust in this universe, but the universe itself, not only this but countless universes that constitute creation—are but objects of a passing dream of the Supreme Being. Grabbing them is like catching hold of a cobra mistaking it for a rope to tie round the waist as belt. Great is the misery of one who takes the world as reality and runs after the pleasures of the world. Supreme Bliss is the prize that awaits one who, understanding the evanescence of the world, applies himself to Nama-Smarana, Japa, Kirtan selfless service, renunciation and meditation, in short, to the life divine.
To such a one liberation is promised here and now. One who, through knowledge of the immortality of the Soul, the immanence of God, and the impermanence of the world, casts off attachment to the world and the actions of Prakriti, attains liberation here and now. Not only that; the true devotee of the Lord attains Him quite easily. This doctrine of the immediacy of liberation, this doctrine of hope, is the great incentive to the diligent student of the Yoga of His Gospel.
True, Lord Sri Krishna killed many Asuras (demons) in a playful manner, even while He was a mere boy, and during His Life on this earth had rid it of diabolical people. The greatest enemy of Dharma has always been in the heart of man. Dharma had to be rescued from the clutches of the demon of unrighteous heart.
No one who studies the Bala-Lilas of Lord Krishna would fail to be struck with wonder at the ingenuity displayed by this Divine Child in dealing with the Asuras. He was very clever, original and ingenious. Was he not God himself! Even in the case of restoration of Dharma He displayed super-divine cleverness.
Repeatedly Lord Krishna extols righteousness. The greatest Bhakta is—not one who goes on rolling the beads, with selfishness, lust, anger and greed enshrined in his heart but—one who is endowed with all auspicious qualities, and who is devoted to the welfare of humanity. Lord Krishna does not define Jnana as scriptural erudition or an intellectual appreciation of philosophic truths or the capacity and cleverness to string words together and to indulge in vain debating. He defines Jnana as the sum total of the best of virtues. Read the thirteenth Chapter of the Bhagavadgita, you will understand this clearly.
The Lord says: watch for these qualities in a man. If they are present, he is a Jnani, a saint; you can safely follow him and adopt him as your spiritual guide. If they are absent, avoid him, even though he may be an expert in the play of words and has learnt the whole of the Vedas and Sastras by heart.
For, if you find that a tree is full of mango-fruits, you need not dig up the earth to see if the tree has sprung up from mango seed or from any other. “Know him by the fruits.” If ignorance dwells in his heart, though the words appear to be words of wisdom, they are in fact the tentacles of the Adharma-octopus that dwells in the depths of his heart. How can a person pour out nectar from a jug that contains the deadliest poison? So, beware. All that glitters is not gold. Here is the touch-stone of true Wisdom-Ethics. Here is the easiest way of distinguishing the real flower from the paper-flower: fragrance! Ethics is the fragrance of wisdom.
May the blessings of Lord Sri Krishna be upon you all! May you all attain Liberation from bondage here and now!
Excerpts from: Gospel of Lord Krishna by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
If you would like to purchase the print edition, visit: The Divine Life Society E-Bookstore
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Krishna
Spiritual Message for the Day – Krishna by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
| **Baba Times Digest© | 4 September 2015 14.35 EST | New York Edition** |
Krishna
Divine Life Society Publication: Hindu Gods and Goddesses by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
Om Sri Sadguru Paramatmane Namah
O Adorable Krishna!
Let my longing eyes behold Thy form.
Let my ears hear Thy flute.
O Healer of all sorrows!
Show me Thyself.
Thou art the only Truth—
All the rest is false.
I crave not for Mukti;
I long not for emancipation;
Let there be devotion to Thy feet.
Be kind unto me, O Lord!
Remove my delusion.
I am a servant unto Thee.
THE auspicious hour came. The star Rohini was shining. It was Vijaya Muhurta. The elements were extremely pleasant. Winds were blowing auspiciously. The stars were shining with lustre. The lakes were filled with lotuses. Lord Krishna incarnated at midnight on this earth. The gods played divine music. The Kinnaras and Gandharvas sang. Siddhas and Charanas praised. The Vidyadharas danced along with Apsaras, sages and Devas. There was a rain of flowers from the heavens in joy.
Vishnu incarnated with lotus eyes, with four hands armed with conch, disc, mace and lotus, with the mark Srivatsa adorning the chest. Vasudeva saw this marvel of a Divine Child.
Vasudeva praised Him: “Thou art known to me already as the Supreme Being. Thou art an embodiment of Knowledge and Bliss. Thou art seated in the hearts of all beings. Thou art the Witness of the minds of all. Thou art beyond Maya and Avidya”.
Devaki beheld marks of Vishnu on her son and praised Him: “Thou art beginningless, omnipresent, self-luminous, attributeless, changeless and actionless. Thou art the source and place of dissolution for everything. Kindly do not show me this form with four hands. Let me see You as an ordinary child. Withdraw this divine, transcendental form. We are afraid of Kamsa”.
The Lord said: “Let both of you often meditate with love on Me as a son and as the Supreme Being and you will obtain eternal bliss and immortality”.
The Lord assumed the form of a handsome baby through the power of His own Maya.
The Purna Avatara
Lord Krishna was the highest Incarnation of the great Vishnu. He was the Purna Avatara. He had all the sixteen Kalas or rays of the Lord. He was a noble scion of the illustrious Yadava dynasty. He was the world-teacher. He was the one Lord of love. He was the lover of men. His enchanting form, with flute in hand, holds the heart of India captive in chains even today.
The object of Sri Krishna’s Avatar who has become the beloved of India and the world at large, was threefold—to destroy the wicked demons, to take the leading part in the great war fought on the battlefield of Kurukshetra where He delivered His wonderful message of the Gita and to become the centre of a marvellous development of the Bhakti Schools of India.
The purpose of the Krishna-Avatara was not only to destroy Adharma, but also to reveal to the world the magnificence of God. Sri Krishna was the symbol of the Absolute, the representation of the mighty Sovereign of the universe. In His well-adjusted, symmetrical conduct of life is portrayed the majestic perfection of God.
Sri Krishna’s life is the Bhagavad Gita in action. In Him are found the supreme knowledge and power blending to form the God-Man of all times. In Him the highest Vidya and Vinaya (knowledge and humility) co-exist as inseparable virtues of the Great Hero of the world.
Sri Krishna was a perfect Master. He was a Karma Yogi, Bhakta, Raja Yogi and Jnana Yogi. He preached Karma, Upasana Yoga and Jnana. Lord Krishna drove the chariot in the battle-field and danced with the Gopis in the shady retreats of Brindavan and taught Yoga and Jnana to Uddhava and Arjuna. The four Yogas are blended in His Gita or the Immortal Song.
Lord Krishna was great in knowledge, great in emotion, great in action, altogether. The scriptures have not recorded any life more full, more intense, more sublime, more grand than His.
Study the Bhagavat and the Pancharatras, which are equal to the Upanishads. You will know all about the glory of Lord Krishna, His Lilas and superhuman deeds.
May we sing His Name—Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya—wholeheartedly like Radha and obtain His Grace which can take us to His Abode of everlasting peace and infinite bliss!
May His blessings be upon us all!
Excerpts from: Krishna - Hindu Gods and Goddesses by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda
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